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With
Reuben Goossens

Maritime
Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author

Please
Note: All ssMaritime and other related maritime/cruise sites are 100%
non-commercial and privately owned. Be assured that I am NOT associated with
any shipping or cruise companies or any travel/cruise agencies or any other
organisations! Although the author has been in the passenger shipping industry
since 1960, although is now retired but having completed around 690 Classic Liners and Cargo-Passengers Ships features I
trust these will continue to provide classic ship enthusiasts the
information the are seeking, but above all a great deal of pleasure! Reuben
Goossens

The
Sitmar Ships

Part
Four

PLEASE
NOTE: Photographs on this page are from the author’s
collection or as noted

Introduction to “The
Sitmar Ships”:

Over
the years I have received unbelievable numbers of requests to add a feature on all
the Sitmar Liners and Cruise Ships. Well, it has taken a considerable time, but
in this work, I will present a short history on each ship, together with a
number of photographs. Therefore, I hope and pray that the following pages will
have you reliving your Sitmar experience or possibly experiences, be it sailing
to or from Europe/UK to New Zealand
or Australia or the America’s
on a line voyage or later as a passenger on one of their many cruises!

I certainly have enjoyed writing and compiling
this very special feature on a company that I greatly love and have sailed with
many times!

Thus now
go and read all about … The Sitmar Ships.

Reuben
Goossens

.

The
Beginnings of the Ship that became TSS Fairsky 2:

The ship that would become the
TSS Fairsky did have a rather amazing life before her remarkable
transformation, for she served during World War II as an “Attack Class
Aircraft Carrier” with great distinction, and it is for that reason, I
believe that we should know a little of her earlier life, which was an heroic
one!

The ship had been laid down on April 17, 1941
as a C3 Class freighter, the Steel Artisan, or “hull 160” under
Maritime Commission contract by “Western Pipe and Steel Company,”
San Francisco, California for the “Ithanian
Steamship Company” and she was launched late September. Upon completion
in December 1941, she was requisitioned for to be converted into an aircraft
carrier and she was renamed USS Barnes, but she was quickly selected to be
transferred under the “Lend-Lease” agreement to the British Royal
Navy.

HMS Attacker (DO2) was the lead ship in the
Attacker Class of eight Escort Carriers and just one of the 38 escort carriers
built in the United States
for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Western Pipe & Steel
shipyards also built three other ships in the Attacker Class. Once completed
the Attacker was headed to Britain
and was handed over to the Royal Navy under the agreement. HMS Attacker had a
ships complement of 646 men, who lived in crew accommodation that was
significantly different from the old Royal Navy arrangements for the time. No
longer would separate messes have to prepare their own food, for on Attacker
there was just a single Galley where everything was cooked and served food was
served in a cafeteria style in partaken off in a central dining area. She was
also equipped with an all-electric modern laundry as well as a Hairdresser.
Finally, gone were those dreaded traditional hammocks, which were replaced by
three-tier bunk-beds, 18 to a cabin, the beds were hinged and could be tied up
to provide more space when they were not in use.

Before entering
service with the Royal Navy she was sent to Burrards
shipbuilders in British Columbia
for one hundred and fifty modifications. These were paid for by the Canadian
government. Further modifications to turn her into an assault carrier were
undertaken by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Dundee, Scotland. This work included the installation of
an operational telephone system with over 100 telephones, as well as a new
briefing room and additional cabins providing an additional 140 bunks.

HMS Attacker’s
dimensions were as follows: she had an overall length of 492.25 feet
(150.04 m), a beam of 69.5 feet (21.2 m) and a height of
23.25 ft (7.09 m). She displaced 11,420 long tons or 11,600 tons
at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to
single shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower (6,300 kW), giving the ship a
speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), was could do 17.5 if required.

The
Attacker Class Escort Carrier - HMS Attacker DO2

In her Hanger, she
had the capacity for up to 24 anti-submarine or fighter aircraft, which could
be made up of a mixture of the British Hawker Sea Hurricane, SupermarineSeafire, Fairey Swordfish or the American Grumman Wildcat, Vought
F4U Corsair or Grumman Avenger aircraft. The composition of aircraft would
depend on the squadrons that had embarked, and thus it depended on the mission.
Some squadrons were composite squadrons for convoy defence and would be
equipped with anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, while other squadrons
working in a strike carrier role would only be equipped with fighter aircraft.
Aircraft facilities were a relatively small combined Bridge–Flight
Control on the starboard side and above the 450 feet (140 m) x 120 feet
(37 m) flight deck, two Aircraft Lifts 42 feet (13 m) by 34 feet
(10 m), and nine Arrestor Wires. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet
(79 m) by 62 feet (19 m) Hangar below the flight deck. The ships
armament concentrated on anti-aircraft (AA) defence and comprised Two × 4 inch Mk V dual purpose guns in single mounts,
eight × 40 mm Bofors AA guns in twin mounts and twenty one × 20 mm
Oerlikon cannons in single and twin mounts..

Attacker was designed to accompany other ships
forming the escort for convoys. The anti-submarine aircraft employed were
initially the Fairey Swordfish and later the Grumman
Avenger, which could be armed with torpedoes, depth charges, 250 pounds
(110 kg) bombs or the RP-3 rocket projectile. As well as carrying out
their own attacks on U-Boats, these aircraft identified their locations for the
convoy's escorts to mount an attack. Typically anti-submarine patrols would be
flown between dawn and dusk. One aircraft would fly about 10 miles (16 km)
ahead of the convoy, while another patrolled astern. Patrols would last between
two and three hours, using both Radar and visual observation in their search
for U-Boats. Attacker also had a secondary role, providing oil and provisions
for her accompanying destroyers. This could be a lengthy process and was done
on the move. It took 40 minutes from firing a line across to the destroyer to
start pumping oil, while it took another two hours to pump 98 tons of oil and a
further 35 minutes to disconnect the hosepipe and secure the equipment.

HMS Attacker received
special Honours and Awards for services when in the following fields of Battle: Salerno 1943
… Atlantic 1943–1944 … South France
1944 and the Aegean 1944.

During her
wartime duties she also served in the waters of France as well as the Pacific.
There is no doubt that she had a notable wartime career and thus her many
honours! After she had completed her duties she was returned to the USA in January
1946 and was duly laid up and placed on the market.

TSS Castelforte:

It was not
until October 28, 1948 that the ship was sold to “National Bulk
Carriers” of New York and she was intended to be converted as a cargo
ship and soon her flight deck and other fittings were due to be removed.
However work was soon halted because she had
been purchased in 1950 by Navcot Corporation, being one of the companies set up
by Alexander Vlasov, the founder of Sitmar Lines. She was renamed Castelforte
and registered under the Panamanian flag.

As
was the custom, foreign countries had to request permission for conversion
works to be undertaken by an US
shipyard from the “American Maritime Commission before removing an
American ship overseas. Then in 1952 she entered the Newport News Shipbuilding
and Drydock Co, where a plan was drawn up for her to become a reefer ship to
transport meat from Argentina to Europe.

However, the reefer plan
was soon halted and she was placed into a four-year lay-up during which time
she received general maintenance to keep the ship in good order.

TSS Castel Forte:

During her
lay up in 1954, her name was altered from Castelforte to Castel Forte.

But finally, in
February 1957 she was back in the shipyard and workers came back on board and
commenced necessary work to make her fit to sail again as well as other major
modifications. In Dry Dock her hull had been
modified as she was given a new extended beautifully raked bow! In addition,
her engine plant had been completely overhauled and air-conditioning
compressors had been installed on board, at the time she certainly did not look
much of a passenger ship, having only a small central housing, which was mounted
by the Bridge and a basic cylindrical smokestack, but the end result was going
to be stunning!

With the required
hull and machinery work completed, the Castle Forte sailed to Italy and arrived in Genoa with a crew of 43 under the command of
Captain Jorge Petrescu on January 28, 1958. She
berthed at the T. Marotti shipyards fit-out berth, where the company worked
together with 120 other Italian firms in the mammoth task transforming this
vessel into a remarkable modern Passenger Liner!

At the time the
TSS that had would have four
decks; Promenade, Boat, Sun and Navigation Decks, and the forward part of her
superstructure was gently and perfectly rounded and atop of her bridge was a well-designed
tall tripod radar mast. Amidships, there was her delightfully modern shapely
funnel, which was rather reminiscent of recent “Ansaldo”
Trans-Atlantic Liners as some said at the time. It was obvious that this new
Sitmar liner was being carefully designed by some of Italy’s
and Europe’s very best designers!

Her interiors were
designed by some of Italy’s
greatest interiors designers, one of thee being the great German designer Mr Störmer from Bremen,
yet the Fairsky still had that modern Italian feel throughout! She offered
accommodations in 441 cabins located over five Decks, being: D, C. B, A and Sun
Decks, which provided a total of 1,461 berths in a One Class configuration.

Staterooms with
private facilities: Up on Sun Deck Outside “Deluxe Staterooms” A,
B, C, D and Inside “Stateroom” E all had a spacious bathroom with a
full bath with an overhead shower, washbasin and WC. The four Deluxe Staterooms
were outside and all had a sofa that converted into a bed, as well as two berths
along, thus these staterooms could be sold for two or three persons as
required.

Outside
Stateroom D having the sofa bed along the wall and the two berths along the
outside

A,
B and C had their sofa beds along the outside wall and the berths along the
inside wall, next to the bathroom

From
a Sitmar brochure

However,
the fifth “Stateroom” E was located inside thus without a porthole,
but it did not have a sofa bed, but instead there two sets of two bunk beds,
thus it could be sold as a twin, three or a four berth cabin, as required and
it had the same bathroom as the first four Deluxe Staterooms. In addition
cabins numbers 2 and 4 had and an interconnecting bathroom between the two
cabins, and this was a small bathroom that had just a shower and a WC, whilst
wash basins was located in each cabin. When one cabin was in the bathroom, they
just locked the inside door to the other cabin and a red sign would show in
that cabin! Cabin numbers 6 and 8 had their own bathrooms consisting of a
shower and a WC. Thus in all, only seven staterooms/cabins on board had private
facilities, whilst two having interconnecting facilities. The SS Fairsky was
fully air-conditioned and that also included the crew quarters!

Public Rooms and other Facilities:

Elevators or Lifts: SS Fairsky had six lifts; two amidships lifts which operated
between E and Sun Deck, whilst the four aft lifts operated between C to Sun decks.

B Deck: There
were two secondary entrance halls amidships and aft on the starboard side,
whilst aft was the baggage room that would be open at various times. On the
portside aft was the ships Medical Centre and a Hospital. Balance of deck had
cabins.

A Deck: Amidships was the heart of the
ship, being the “Main Foyer” and Entrance Hall. Located forward on
port and starboard sides were offices related to the main Pursers Office, being
located in the middle of the Foyer. Whilst on the two sides aft of the Foyer
was the ships Shop on the Portside and the Ladies Beauty and Hairdressing Salon
and the Barber Shop on the starboard side.

Promenade Deck

: This Deck offered three main Dining Rooms, with two forward being
Dining Rooms C and B, from forward to aft, with A
being located far aft, behind a massive Galley!

Although far
forward, just ahead of Dining Room C were two small VIP dining Rooms, which
were divided by a stairwell. Outside there was a long sheltered teak promenade
with an excellent deck space far aft!

Boat Deck: This
is the deck for all the ships main Lounges, for forward was the “Grand
Social Hall,” and the word “Grand” said it all, for it was
really huge for a ship of her size! Far forward there were two doors to small
passages, which led to doors onto a wonderful deck forward of her superstructure,
which would be available at special times! Between these doors was a special stage and bandstand and a large dance floor
that was the length of the front section of the Lounge, and that was
considerable! Far aft of the room, but centred was the Bar that serviced the
venue. The vast majority of the venue was furnished with round tables each with
four comfortable armchairs, whilst others were located with curved, in L or S
shaped long settees. In the aft section along the two sidewalls there were
comfortable back-to-back bench seating giving a warm feel of a cosy bar!

The
Grand Social Hall

Walking out you entered the
Lobby and on the starboard side was the “Children’s Playroom”
whilst on the portside was the delightful “Writing Room and
Library.” It was a beautifully timbered room, with the forward and aft
walls containing bookcases with sliding timber doors. Along the windows here
were 4 x 2, being eight writing tables with seating
for eight, perfect for those who whish to write a letter or a post card, or
even some may wish to read a book there? In addition there was seating for 17
persons per chairs and the long bench style sofa.

The
Writing Room and Library looking forward, the door is on the right, there is
another aft

that enters
the Beer Hall and there is a walkway behind the white and pink striped bench
sofa

You would need to walk through
Writing Room and Library to reach the next Venue, alternatively use the aft
lifts or stairwell, but you will have reached one of the most popular venues on
board and that is the “Bavarian Beer Hall.” Which was a venue that
had a timbered look with a long U shape bar located on the starboard side and I
am sure, far too many headaches resulted from a good time in this venue!

Then the final venue aft was the delightful
“Lido Bar” which was a spacious venue that featured an aft wall of
eleven floor to ceiling glass windows and doors overlooking the ships swimming
pool and her aft decks. The venue was obviously an attractive one and thus
popular at sunset time, when Happy Hour would be a busy time!

The
Lido Lounge & Bar

Boat Deck also
offered a spacious teak deck for walking, or relaxation, under the ships
lifeboats, whilst aft was her salt water Swimming Pool and a spacious sun deck,
which offered ample seating around the pool and bar service, for soft drinks,
milk shakes, alcohol or coffee came from the Lido
bar!

Sun Deck: There was only one public venue and this was located far aft and
could be reached via the aft stairs or lifts. This was the delightfully
intimate “Verandah Bar.” This small venue seated just 26 persons, 3
of these being on the bar stools, the bar was located along the starboard wall
and like the Lido downstairs, this venue, except for two solid doors, also had
floor to ceiling windows the full width along her aft wall over looking the
deck outside and below. This room was especially colour full, with the bar
front featuring multi toned horizontal timber slats, and deep blues are
featured throughout, including in the furnishings, as well as grey and yellow
lampshades for contrasts! Combine this with ample greenery and you have the
perfect venue that has a great view outdoors!

Navigation Deck: Along the aft section there was a huge Games Deck, ideal for a
host of sports and activities to be played.

A Deck Plan can be found via the Index at the bottom
of the page!

SS Fairsky (2):

From May 6 and 13, 1958 the
Castel Forte was in Drydock giving time to remove all the old signage on board,
as well as removing the name Castle Forte from her hull and add the ships
official new Sitmar name the Fairsky on her bow and stern as well throughout
the ship, etc! TSS Fairsky was registered in Monrovia on behalf of the “Fairline
Shipping Corp,” being a Sitmar Company!

Once she came out of
dry dock she was close to ready to commence her new career, except for her sea
trials, which proved to be successful. She was fully manned and stocked, thus
made ready for her maiden voyage in June!

The
beautiful Fairsky is seen on her way to Australia
at anchor in Port Said

By now Sitmar had obtained the lucrative
migrant contract to take British migrants to Australia,
the famed “Ten Pound POMs” and it is for
this reason she departed from Southampton on Thursday June 26, 1958 at 2.20 pm
almost full with 1,430 passengers bound for BrisbaneAustralia.
She sailed via Le Havre and the Suez Canal, Colombo to Fremantle (Perth, Western Australia),
where she arrived on Monday July 21. She then headed for Melbourne (Victoria), arriving on Sunday July 27, departing for Sydney (New
South Wales) arriving on Tuesday July 29, where the
Fairsky remained overnight. She then sailed north to her last official outbound
destination being the City of Brisbane (Queensland) where she
arrived on Friday August 1.

TSS
Fairsky in the BrisbaneRiver heading for the Hamilton Wharves

The SS Fairsky then returned to Southampton via the same ports of call.

The
Fairsky was certainly one of the best conversions of a C3 Class Freighter

into a fine looking Passenger Liner

The
TSS Fairsky continued on a regular Australian service and in December 1961 she
made her very first call to Auckland New Zealand.
This was her very first of her Firsts, but there was another first to come, for
the very next year in 1962 she would undertake her very first cruise!

The
Fairsky seen arriving whilst the Sydney Opera House is still in construction

around 1962

Photographer
unknown - Please photo notes at bottom of page

Then in June 1965
the Suez Canal was closed due to an Arab attack against Israel, which started
the Six Day War and this cost world shipping dearly, for suddenly cargo ships
and liners alike would have to sail all the way around the “Cape of Good Hope”
in order to reach, India and Asia in General or Australia. However, the Fairsky
continued to operate the Australian migrant service until 1970, and she became
a regular and a popular sight in Australian and also New Zealand ports.

During a voyage to Australia in November 1969 the Fairsky suddenly
suffered engine problems, whilst she was sailing between Southampton and Cape Town. Upon arrival,
she had to remain there for several days in order to undergo repairs, which was
fine for the passengers, having additional shore leave, but she then slowly
limped, still not quite right to Fremantle, arriving twelve days late. Thus
further works were undertaken and passengers were transported to their
destinations.

However, Sitmar lost their Migrant
contract to the new Giant in passenger shipping the Greek Chandris Line, who
operated the ex Matson liners now named the RHMS Ellinis, Britanis and the ex
SS America,
now named the SS Australis.

The
Fairsky is seen departing Melbourne
on January 21, 1971

Photographer
unknown - Please photo notes at bottom of page

However Sitmar continued regular passenger
serviced from Southampton to Australia
and New Zealand and did so until
February 1972, for she was then laid up in Southampton.

The main reason for the SS Fairsky being laid
up was that Sitmar had to magnificent newly rebuilt liners ready to enter
service, the TSS Fairsea and the TSS Fairwind, ex Cunard ships, the Carinthia
and Sylvania,
and Sitmar intended to use them on the Australian service. Thus the future for
the Fairsky was rather bleak at that time. The new twins were placed on the
lucrative American luxury cruise market and were met with huge success cruising
the Caribbean and Mexico and
Alaska.

Sitmar
Lines artist impression of the new 22,000-ton TSS Fairsea and Fairwind

TSS Fairsky the Cruise Ship:

Thankfully, well over a year and a half the
TSS Fairsky had received a refit and she finally resumed her duties and she
departed Southampton on November 8, 1973 bound for Australia.

But then on June 2, 1974 TSS Fairsky departed
Southampton what would be her very last time ever and she headed for Sydney arriving in July and made Sydney her homeport, for she had become a
full time cruise ship! It was a wise move to use her as a cruise ship for she
was already well known and she had an excellent reputation from her past
cruises she had operated, and as she continued she enjoyed huge success!

The
starboard side of the forward Dining Room was converted to become the ships
Cinema

being a must on the full
time Cruise Ship and it showed a host of latest release movies!

This
is a Fairsky brochure

released in the 1970’s.

Here we
see a flag bedecked cruise ship Fairsky

on a cruise

The author also enjoyed an excellent cruise on
the Fairsky, for we certainly had the most wonderful time as we had one of the
better cabins with private facilities up on Sun Deck, but then again I have
sailed on a number of Sitmar liners and cruise ships, and all have been most
enjoyable!

The
Fairsky was remained a good as well as a beautiful cruise ship!

Tragedy in Djakarta:

Having become a fulltime cruise ship based in Sydney, the Fairsky departed on a cruise to Singapore and Indonesia
and she left the last Australian port
of Darwin on June 12, 1977 and she for Singapore
for her port call and her happy passengers could have their excursions ashore.
Thereafter the ship sailed for Djakarta and
another fine day’s outing was had by all.

However, upon departing Djakarta
on June 23, the Fairsky struck the sunken the submerged wreck of an Indonesian
Combi-ship the “Klingi”, which saw the Fairsky’s hull badly holed. The captain decided that
he would beach her on a nearby sandbank to save her from sinking. All
passengers were taken ashore with great efficiency, as passenger Mrs. Pamela
Hanson writes; see the Link to her story on the
Index below.

The
partially sunken bow of the Fairsky as photographed by Mrs. Hansen

The hole was rapidly filled with a concrete
pad on the 29th,and
she was then refloated and able to proceed under her own power to a Singapore
dry-dock where a temporarily repair was made to the damage, being a patch
placed over the hole, the reason being that Sitmar had decided not to go ahead
and repair the ship, and therefore they placed her on the market.

The Fairsky was
purchased by FuijiMarden
& Co and on December 11, 1977 she departed Singapore
bound for Hong Kong where she would be broken
up. Amazingly, the Fairsky operated this voyage under her own steam power and
sadly, it would be the very last time she would ever do so!

Whilst the Fairsky was laid up awaiting
demolition; she was suddenly purchased by a Filipino firm the “Peninsula
Tourist Shipping Corp” in March 1978, and she was renamed the
“Philippine Tourist.” The ship was taken under tow to the Bataan
Shipyard and Engineering yards in Manila, where she would be converted into a
floating hotel and casino based in Manila.

Above
& below: The Philippine Tourist is seen close to
completion - including a fine bowshot of her

However this venture would be
short relatively short lived, for the project was doomed, it seemed almost if
the honourable War Hero, much loved Passenger Liner and Cruise Ship the Fairsky
refused to be humiliated into be reduced to becoming a hotel/casino ship, for
on November 4, 1979 with her being close to completed, she caught fire and the
ship was completely gutted.

The wreck was sold back to FuijiMarden
& Co, her previous owner, who renamed her “Fair Sky” for
the tow back to Hong Kong where she arrived on
May 24, 1979, and breaking up commenced the very next day by the very same
company who was going to break her up two years earlier!

A
tragic sight, the Fair Sky almost gone as seen at the Hong
Kong breakers

Remembering
the beloved TSS Fairsky - 1957 ~ 1977

The
Fairsky always looked wonderful, as she was a beautiful ship!

Whilst cruising out of Australia,
Sitmar had become very popular with holidaymakers and cruises became more and
more popular. Fairsky and her sisters had changed the trend in cruising for it
offered a new trend and a style that was different to the traditional British
ships. The truth is that Italian ships were simply great fun and offered
excellent food and good entertainment, which surpassed all the others! With the
Fairsky gone, came Sitmar new flagship, the 21,600-ton TSS Fairstar that later
became so lovingly known as the “Funship!

”
Sitmar was so popular with not just the Australian cruise public, but it was
huge with the American and British and European market, thus in June 1988
Sitmar was taken over by P&O - Princess Cruises, who took over all their
ships the brand new SS Fairsky, the ship in building the Sitmar FairMajesty,
which was rechristened the Star Princess, currently P&O Cruises Australia
Pacific Pearl. And the two new ships designed by Sitmar and ready to be built,
that became the Regal and Crown Princess, currently P&O’s Pacific
Dawn and Jewel.

Fairsky,
the ugly duckling when built, became an attractive and popular ship for all who
sailed on her, and she will be fondly remembered by past passengers and those
who admired her from ashore!

Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos Story

Please
Note: ssmaritime and associated
sites are 100% non-commercial and the author seeks no
funding or favours of any shape or form, never have and never will!

Photographson ssmaritime and associate pages are by the
author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are
some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private
photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However,
there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the
photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would
be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that due credit may be
given.

This
notice covers all pages,
although, and I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly
credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page
is updated!